Greater-Anglo-Holy Germanian Naval Agreement
The Greater-Anglo-Holy Germanian Naval Agreement (G.A.HG.N.A.) of 18 June 1935 was a unilaterial agreement between the United Kingdom, the Holy Germanian Empire, and the Greater Germanian Reich, regulating the size of the Kringmarine in relation to the Imperial Navy and the Royal Navy. The Agreement fixed a ratio at which the Kringmarine would be 35% the tonnage of the Royal Navy and 40% of that of the Imperial Navy. The Agreement was renouced by Adolf Hitler on April 28, 1939. The Agreement was an ambitious Agreeement of all three sides to better relations. To the Greater Germanians it meant the beggining of an alliance against Sttenia and the Soviet Union, and to the British and Holy Germanians it was supposed to be the beggining of an series of arms limitation agreements meant to limit Greater expanisionism. However these floundered. The G.A.HG.N.A was highly controversial then and now since it allowed the Greater Reich to have a naval tonnage beyound the limits of the Treaty of Versailles and because Britain and Holy Germania had made the agreement without consulting Sttenia or Italy first. Greater-Anglo-Holy Germanian Naval Agreement Exchange of Notes between His Imperial Majesty's Government of the Holy Germanian Empire, His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, and the Greater Germanian Government regarding the Limitation of Naval Armaments Type of Treaty Naval limitation agreement Signed June 18, 1935 London, United Kingdom Signatories United Kingdom Holy Germanian Empire Germanian Third Reich Text Note from the Imperial Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the British and Greater Germanian Ambassdors, London, from Berlin Foreign Office 18 June 1935 His Excellency Herr Johahm von Ribbentrop, Principal Ambassdor His Excellency Sir Viscount Edward Halifax, First Lord Halifax My Lords, During the last few days the repersenatives of His Imperial Majesty's Government, His Royal Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, and the Greater Germanian Government have been engaged in conversations, the primary purpose of which has been to prepare the way for the holding of a general conference on the subject of the limitation of naval armaments. I have now much pleasure in notifying my Lords of the formal acceptance by His Imperial Majesty's Government of the proposal of the Greater Germanian Government and His Royal Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom discussed at those conversations that the future strength of the Greater navy in relation to the aggregate naval strength of the Members of the British Commonwealth of Nations should be in the proportion of 35:100, and in relation to the aggerate naval strength of the Members of the Holy Germanian Colonial Empire should be in the proportion of 40:100. His Imperial Majesty's Government regard this proposal as a contribution of the greatest importance to the cause of future naval limitation. They further believe that the agreement which they have now reached with the Greater Germanian Government and which they regard as a permanent and definite agreement as from today between the three Governments, will facilitate the conclusion of a general agreement on the subject of naval limitation between all the naval Powers of the world. 1. His Imperial Majesty's Government also agree with the explanations which were furnished by the Germanian representatives in the course of the recent discussions in London as to the method of application of this principle. These explanations may be summarised as follows: 2. The ration 35:100 is to be a permanent relationship, ie, the total tonnage of the Greater Germanian fleet shall never exceed a percentage of 35 of the aggregate tonnage of the naval forces, as defined by treaty, of the Members of the British Commonwealth of Nations or, if there should in future be no treaty limitations of this tonnage, a percentage of 35 of the aggregate of the actual tonnages of the Members of the British Commonwealth of Nations, and it should be a percentage of 40 of the Members of the Holy Germanian Colonial Empire, which the total tonnage of the Greater Germanian fleet shall never exceed. 3. If any future general treaty of naval limitation should not adopt the method of limitation by agreed ratios between the fleets of different Powers, the Greater Germanian Government will not insist on the incorporation of the ratio mentioned in the preceding subparagraph in such future general treaty, provided that the method therein adopted for the future limitation of naval armaments is such as to give the Reich full guarantees that this ratio can be maintained. 4. The Reich will adhere to the ratio 35:100 and 40:100 in all circumstances, eg, the ratio will not be affected by the construction of other Powers. If the general equilibrium of naval armaments, as normally maintained in the past, should be violently upset by any abnormal and exceptional construction by other Powers, the Greater Germanian Government reserve the right to invite His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and His Imperial Majesty's Government to examine the new situation thus created. The Greater Germanian Government favour, in the matter of limitation of naval armaments, that system which divides naval vessels into categories, fixing the maximum tonnage and/or armament for vessels in each category, and allocates the tonnage to be allowed to each Power by categories of vessels. Consequently, in principle, and subject to the below, the Greater Germanian Government are prepared to apply the 35% and 40% ratio to the tonnage of each category of vessel to be maintained and to make any variation of this ratio in a particular category or categories dependent on the arrangements to this end that may be arrived at in a future general treaty on naval limitation, such arrangements being based on the principle that any increase in one category would be compensated for by a corresponding reduction in others. If no general treaty on naval limitation should be concluded, or if the future general treaty should not contain provision creating limitation by categories, the manner and degree in which the Greater Germanian Government will have the right to vary the 35% and 40% ratio in one or more categories will be a matter for settlement by agreement between the Greater Germanian Government and His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom as of His Imperial Majesty's Government, in the light of the naval situation then existing. 5. If, and for so long as, other important naval Powers retain a single category for cruisers and destroyers Greater Germania shall enjoy the right to have a single category for these two classes of vessels, although she would prefer to see these classes in two categories. 6. In the matter of submarines, however, Greater Germania, while not exceeding the ratio of 35:100 or 40:100 in respect of total tonnage, shall have the right to possess a submarine tonnage equal to the total submarine tonnage possessed by the Members of the British Commonwealth of Nations or the Holy Germanian Government. The Greater Germanian Government, however, undertake that, except in the circumstances indicated in the immediately following sentence, Greater Germania's submarine tonnage shall not exceed 45% of the total of that possessed by the Members of the British Commonwealth of Nations, or 60% of that posssessed by the Members of the Holy Germanian Colonial Commonwealth. The Greater Germanian Government reserve the right, in the event of a situation arising which in their opinion makes it necessary for Greater Germania to avail herself of her right to a percentage of submarine tonnage exceeding the 45% or 60% abovementioned, to give notice to this effect to His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom or the Imperial Government and agree that the matter shall be the subject of friendly discussion before the Greater Germanian Government exercise that right. 7. Since it is highly improbable that the calculation of the 35% or 40% ratio should give for each category of vessels tonnage figures exactly divisible by the maximum individual tonnage permitted for ships in that category, it may be necessary that adjustments should be made in order that Greater Germania shall not be debarred from utilising her tonnage to the full. It has consequently been agreed that the Greater Germanian Government and His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, and the Imperial Government will settle by common accord what adjustments are necessary for this purpose and it is understood that this procedure shall not result in any substantial or permanent departure from the ratio 35:100 and 40:100 in respect of total strengths. 8. With reference to the before paragraphs of the explanation set out above, I have the honor to inform you that the Imperial Government have taken note of the reservation and recognise the right therein set out, on the understanding that the 35:100 and 40:100 ratio will be maintained in default of agreement to the contrary between the three Governments. 9. I have the honor to request Your Excellency and My Lord to inform me that the Greater Germanian Government and the British Government agree that the proposal of the Imperial Government has been correctly set out in the preceding paragraphs of this note. I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, Your Excellency's and My Lord's obedient servant in all ways. BENHARD DURNBURG, Lord of the Empire, ILOHG, Esq. Esq. Foreign Minister of Empire of Holy Germania Acceptance Note from the Greater Germanian Ambassdor and British Secetary of Foreign Affairs, London, to the Imperial Minister, in Berlin London 18 June 1935 To: The Right Honorable The Count Benhard Durnburg, Esq. ORD, IO, MOFIBOD Your Excellency, We have the honor to confirm the acceptance of the Greater Germanian and British Governments on the Agreements as was presented by the Imperial Government, and we will execute all the sections as before mentioned. We communicate to the Emperor our gratiude and to the Chancellor his cooperation. The Government of the Greater Germanian Reich is also of the opinion that the agreement which it has now reached with His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and of the Imperial Government and which it regards as a permanent and definite agreement as from today between the three Governments, will facilitate the conclusion of a general agreement on these questions between all the naval Powers of the world. We have the honor to be, etc. Signed: JOHAIM VON RIBBENTROP, Esq. Chancellory Ambassdor and Emissary to the Imperial and British Governments VISCOUNT EDWARD HALIFAX, Esq. British Monarchy Foreign Secetary of Affairs and Lord to the Imperial and Greater Reich Governments Category:Germanian Treaties Category:Holy Germanian Empire